If you are flying in from Portugal to watch live sport in the United States, the hard part is rarely the game. It is the ESTA, the connection through Newark, the fact that the price on the menu is not the price you pay, and working out that a 20% tip is not a compliment but the waiter's wages.
This guide covers all of it, written for travellers coming from Portugal. TAP flies direct from Lisbon to eight US cities, which makes a lot of trips simpler than they look — and the two-stop routes to everywhere else are well worn.
Which Sport to Go and See
The United States runs five major spectator sports, and which one you can see depends entirely on when you visit.
- College football (late August to early January) is the one most visitors underestimate. Crowds of 100,000 are normal at the biggest programmes, the atmosphere is closer to a derby than anything in US pro sport, and tickets are cheap by comparison.
- NFL (September to February) is the hardest ticket and the biggest occasion. Only nine home games a season, so plan around a specific team's schedule.
- MLB (April to October) is the easiest to see on short notice — 81 home games a season means tickets are cheap and available almost any day of the week in summer.
- NBA and NHL (October to June) are indoor, weatherproof, and the best option for a winter trip. Many arenas host both.
If you are building a trip around it, our schedule pages show every away game for a given team with flights, hotels and tickets for those dates, and the stadium guides cover getting in, where to sit, and what you cannot bring through the gate.
Entry Requirements
USA (ESTA): Portuguese citizens do not need a visa. Portugal is part of the US Visa Waiver Program. You need an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). The fee is $40.27 USD. Apply at the official site only: esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Avoid third-party sites that charge inflated fees. Most applications are approved within hours, but apply well in advance. Your passport must be a valid electronic passport (biometric chip) and valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates. ESTA is valid for two years and allows multiple entries of up to 90 days each.
You will need to complete an FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple), Mexico's tourist entry form. The fee (approximately $54 USD) is included in your airline ticket if flying. Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.
Important: Apply for your ESTA before your trip, not at the airport. It's quick, but if it gets flagged for additional review, you want time to resolve it.
Getting There
From Portugal: TAP Air Portugal is the obvious starting point. TAP flies direct from Lisbon to Miami (MIA), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Washington D.C. (IAD), Los Angeles (LAX), and San Francisco (SFO). There is no direct Lisbon-to-Houston route. Your best options for Houston:
- Via Newark or JFK: Fly TAP direct from Lisbon to Newark or JFK, then connect to Houston on United, JetBlue, or Spirit. Total travel time roughly 14-16 hours including layover.
- Via Miami: Fly TAP direct from Lisbon to Miami (roughly 9.5 hours), then connect to Houston (2.5 hours). This also sets up your Miami leg later.
- Via other hubs: Lufthansa via Frankfurt, Air France via Paris, or British Airways via London all connect to Houston (IAH) with one stop. United flies Frankfurt-Houston direct.
This is the cleanest routing.
Porto departures: TAP flies Porto to Newark and Boston direct. From Porto, you'll need at least one connection to reach Houston. Consider positioning to Lisbon for the outbound if the routing is significantly cheaper.
Between Houston and Miami: Direct flights run frequently on United, American, Spirit, and JetBlue. 5 hours.
Book as early as possible to lock in current prices. Search flights to Houston (IAH) -> | Search flights to Miami (MIA) ->
Getting Around
Houston: Houston is car-dependent. Public transit exists but is limited. The METRORail Red Line has a direct connection from downtown to Reliant Stadium — alight at the Stadium Park/Astrodome station, which is right next to the complex and is genuinely useful on game days. For everything else, you'll be using Uber or Lyft. Houston is sprawling, flat, and hot. Walking between neighborhoods is not practical. Do not expect anything resembling a European city layout. If you're renting a car, parking is cheap and plentiful everywhere except immediately around Reliant Stadium on game days.
Miami: Also car-dependent, but slightly better for visitors. Miami Beach and downtown are somewhat walkable. Uber and Lyft work well. Hard Rock Stadium is in Miami Gardens, about 30 minutes north of downtown Miami by car (longer in traffic). There is no direct rail connection to the stadium. On game days, expect shuttle buses from designated pickup points and heavy traffic on I-95 and the Florida Turnpike. If you're staying in Miami Beach or downtown, budget 60-90 minutes for the stadium trip on game day.
Your Portuguese driving licence is valid in the US. You drive on the right, same as Portugal. Fuel is significantly cheaper than home.
Money, Phones, and Essentials
Currency: US Dollar (USD). As of early 2026, EUR 1 is roughly $1.05-1.10 USD, so prices are almost 1:1 with euros, which makes mental math easy but also means the US feels expensive. Contactless payments (Visa, Mastercard) work almost everywhere. Your Portuguese bank card will work, but check foreign transaction fees. A multi-currency card (Wise, Revolut) avoids conversion fees and is the cheapest way to pay.
Sales tax: Unlike Portugal, prices in the US do not include tax. Your $15 lunch is actually $16.25-17.50 after tax. In Texas (Houston), sales tax is 8.25%. In Florida (Miami), it's roughly 7%. This catches every European visitor off guard. Budget accordingly.
Tipping: This is the biggest cultural adjustment. Tipping is not optional in the US. At restaurants, tip 18-20% of the pre-tax bill. At bars, $1-2 per drink. For Uber/Lyft, 15-20%. This is how service workers earn their income. In Portugal, rounding up or leaving a euro or two is normal. In America, 18-20% is the baseline. Leaving less is considered rude. Budget for it. It adds roughly 20% to every meal.
Phone: Check with your Portuguese carrier (MEO, NOS, Vodafone) about US roaming packages. Many Portuguese plans have limited or expensive US data. For the best deal, pick up a prepaid US SIM at the airport or a T-Mobile store. A prepaid SIM with a few weeks of data runs $30-40 USD. Alternatively, an eSIM from providers like Airalo or Holafly can be activated before you leave Portugal.
Plugs: The US uses Type A/B plugs (two flat pins), 120V. Your Portuguese plugs (Type C/F, 230V) will not fit. Bring an adapter. Most phone and laptop chargers auto-switch voltage, but check hair dryers and other appliances.
Language: English is the primary language. In Houston, Spanish is widely spoken as a second language, and you'll hear it everywhere, but don't assume service staff speak Spanish. In Miami, Spanish is almost co-equal with English, and you'll navigate easily if you speak Spanish. Portuguese speakers will understand a fair amount of written Spanish. However, all official interactions (immigration, stadium security, transport) are in English. Most Portuguese visitors speak reasonable English, but it's worth setting the expectation that no one will speak Portuguese outside of the diaspora community.
Healthcare: There is no universal healthcare for visitors in the US. An emergency room visit can cost thousands of dollars. Buy travel insurance before you leave Portugal, and make sure it covers medical expenses in the US. This is not optional.
Food and Drink Costs
North America is more expensive for dining out than Portugal. Here's a rough guide:
- Coffee: $4-7 USD. American drip coffee is not espresso. If you want something closer to a Portuguese bica, order an espresso or an americano. Expect to be disappointed regardless.
- Casual lunch (fast-casual, food truck): $15-22 USD
- Sit-down dinner (no drinks): $35-55 USD
- Dinner with drinks: $60-90 USD
- Beer at a bar: $7-12 USD (Houston on the lower end, Miami on the higher)
- Grocery run for day supplies: $20-30 USD
Houston is the cheaper of the two cities and has extraordinary food. Houston's culinary scene is driven by its massive immigrant communities: world-class Vietnamese food in Bellaire and Midtown, outstanding Tex-Mex, excellent BBQ, and a deep bench of Indian, Nigerian, and Central American restaurants. Don't default to chains.
Miami is more expensive but has its own strengths: Cuban food is outstanding and affordable (a Cuban sandwich and cafecito for $8-12), seafood is excellent, and the Latin American food scene across the city is deep. Little Havana is worth a visit for the food alone, and the coffee culture there will feel more familiar to a Portuguese palate than anywhere else in the US.
Portions: American portions are enormous. A single main course at a casual restaurant is often enough for two moderate eaters. Factor this in when ordering.
Weather
Houston: Hot. Genuinely, oppressively hot. Expect 33-38 C (91-100 F) with suffocating humidity. Reliant Stadium has a retractable roof and air conditioning, so the game itself will be comfortable, but getting to the stadium and any pre-match activities will be intense. Drink water constantly. Wear light clothing. Sunscreen is essential. If you're coming from Lisbon or Porto, where June means pleasant 25 C weather, Houston's heat will hit you hard. Take it seriously.
Miami: Also hot and humid, but marginally more bearable than Houston. Expect 30-33 C (86-91 F) with high humidity. Hard Rock Stadium is open-air with a partial canopy. Bring sunscreen if you're in an exposed section. June is also the start of Miami's rainy season, so brief, intense afternoon thunderstorms are common. They pass quickly, but have a rain layer handy.
Fan Culture Differences
It's a car park party. Reliant Stadium has a huge tailgating culture. Hard Rock Stadium does too. If you get a parking pass or befriend someone who has one, join in. It's genuinely fun and completely unlike anything in European football.
Stadium rules: Bag policies are strict. Most US stadiums enforce a clear bag policy: only transparent bags smaller than 30x15x30 cm are permitted. Leave your regular bag at the hotel or in the car. You can buy a clear bag cheaply at any Target or Walmart. Security checks are thorough. No pyrotechnics, no smoke bombs, no flares. If you're used to Portuguese ultras culture, leave that energy at home.
Atmosphere: US sports crowds are enthusiastic but less structured than European supporter sections. US stadiums have assigned seats. People stand during exciting moments, but don't expect the sustained 90-minute singing you'd hear at a Sporting or Benfica European night.
The Portuguese diaspora: This is your secret weapon. The Portuguese-American community is concentrated in New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut) and New Jersey, and many will travel to Houston and Miami for the games. Newark, NJ, has one of the largest Portuguese communities outside Portugal. Expect to hear Portuguese in the stands and to find fellow fans at bars in both cities.
Time Zones
Houston is in Central Time (CT), which is UTC-5 during summer. Miami is in Eastern Time (ET), UTC-4. Portugal is in Western European Summer Time (WEST) during June, which is UTC+1.
Houston is 6 hours behind Portugal. Miami is 5 hours behind.
For you in the US, the Houston games are midday, which means morning pre-match and the entire evening free afterward.